Concrete mixer



Apri 23, 1935. H. K, PARIS 1,998,635

CONCRETE MIXER Filed Nov. 9, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 E@ m. w m( Si; L w

im W z 'INI/ENTOR,

HE NRV K. PAR/S. YQN/W ATTRNEY H. K. PARS CONCRETE MIXER prl 23, 1935.

Filed Nov. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR, HENRY K. PAR/S.

BgQw-// 'l y ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 23, 1935 CONCRETE MIXER Henry K.Paris, Oakland, Calif., assigner to Porter W. Yett, Portland, Oreg.

Application Novemberil, i931, Serial No. 573,796

4 Claims. (Cl. 83-73) My invention relates to concrete mixers and thelike, and particularly to concrete mixers of the type wherein a mixingcontainer is mounted upon an automotive vehicle, and the concrete ismixed while said vehicle is in transit.

AmongA the objects of my invention are: To provide a mixer requiring aminimum of manipulation to perform the necessary operations of loading,mixing, and dumping; to provide a mixer requiring no auxiliary hoist orequivalent apparatus in order to perform the dumping operation; toprovide a mixer wherein the operation of tilting the container fortransit or :for dumping is under especially accurate control, andwherein said control may be exercised from a plurality of points; toprovide a mixer of light weight, permitting a large pay load to becarried on a vehicle of given capacity; to provide a mixer wherein thecharge is concentrated, instead of being spread out through the mixingcontainer, thus insuring speedy and eiiective mixing; and to provide amixer of unusual simplicity, whose mechanism is rugged and economical.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent or will be specificallypointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, butI do not limit myself to the embodiment of my invention hereindescribed, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of theclaims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure l is an elevation of an automotive concrete mixer embodying myinvention. f

Figure 2 is a rear elevation showinU a portion of the mixer illustratedin Figure i, parts of the mixer being cut away in the drawings.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view, the plane of section being throughthe hinge or pivot whereon theV mixing container tilts.

Figure l is a detail View, on a larger scale rthan Figure l,illustrating the tilting and mixing mechanism of the mixing containeror'drum.

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional View through the mixer frame andcontainer, the plane of section being indicated by the line iib inFigure 4. Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail section of the dumpingbuckets within the mixing container.

Considered broadly, my invention comprises a mixing container mountedupon the ira-me of the mixer to tilt about what may be termed itstransverse axis. Means are provided for agitating a charge of concretewithin this container in such a manner as to cause it to tend to movelongitudinally across this axis, thus producing a shift in the center ofgravity of the container together with its charge. The stirring actionis reversible, so that when the stirring its in one direction the centerof gravity of the charge will shift to tilt the container into theAappropriate position for mixing and for transit, while stirring l oragitating'in the. opposite direction will move the center of gravity ofthe charge to the other end of the container, causing tilting of thecon-- tainer into the appropriate position for dumping the charge. Meansare provided for regulating this tilting action, this means preferablyoperating upon the hydraulic principle, and comprising a cylinder andpiston connected between the container and the frame of the mixer. Bypermitting or preventing flow of liquid from this-cylinder the containermay be permitted to tilt, or retained in any desired position. Thisgives unusually accurate control of the motion of the container, andoperates the apparatus without the necessity for any auxiliary hoist orother equipment for the sole purpose of dumping, all of the powerrequired being supplied by the mixing mechanism.

A preferred form of equipment embodying my invention comprises anautomotive 'truck which is indicated by the'general reference characteri. The truck includes the usual frame members 2, upon which are mounteda pair of bearings or hinges 3, which carry the tiltable super frame orcradle 1l. The conventional running gear of the truck need not bedescribed in detail here, since it is oi familiar design.

Mounted upon the cradle are brackets 6 on which are journaled flangedrollers l. These rollers support a cylindrical mixing container or drum8, around which run encircling tracks lil, so that the container may berotated upon the rollers.

The container is rotated by power derived from the truck motor l lthrough a conventional power taire-olf l2, by which power is taken fromthe truck transmission gear I3. The take-off is controlled by a leverVlli, which may be operated when the clutch i5 is disengaged. 'Ihe clutchis also preferably arranged for operation by means of a lever l@ andlink ll, connecting with the clutch pedal, the lever being mounted nearthe rear end of the truck. A similar dual control, operated by the leverit, connects through the link. 2t to the take-off lever It. In thismanner, take-off can be operated either from the drivers seat or fromthe rear of the truck.

From the power take-off l2 a shaft 2l connects to a multispeedtransmission gear 22 which includes a reversing gear. The driveny shaftof the transmission carries a universal joint 23, mounted on a splinedshaft '25, which works in a sleeve 26 carrying a second universal joint2l. This latter joint drives a short shaft 2Q, journaled in a pair ofcross members 313, 3l on the cradle. The shaft carries a small sprocket32, driving a chain 33, which passes around the drum'and meshes with asprocket 35 formed on its periphery,to cause the drum to revolve uponits track. n

y Within the drum are a plurality of helically disposed baiiies ormixing blades 36. These blades preferably extend from adjacent theclosed or forward end of the container, back to a row of buckets 39which are disposed around the inner circumference of the container atthe rear of its cylindrical portion. Beyond these buckets the containerpreferably has a short truncated conica-l end 4d, having a centralopening fil.

As will be seen in the drawings (Figure 4) the buckets are so shapedthat their under surfaces act substantially as continuations of theagitating blades carrying on the helical arrangement of the A pair ofarms l2 ourye upward and backward from the of the cradle and a chute 44is pivotally supported to these by a bracket d5. A lever permits thechute to be rot-ated so that projects into the opening of the containeras shown, or to be swung out of the container and inverted above it.

The operation of the apparatus thus far described is as follows: Thecharge to be mixed is introduced into the cc" tainer through the chute.The container is then rotated in counter-clockwise direction as seen.from the rear, the desired speed being set by means of the transmissionThe helical mixing blades 32 agitate the material, at the same timecarry it toward the forward end of the container, operating on theprinciple of the Archimedean screw. This overbalances the container sothat the forward end tends to fall and the rear to rise, as shown by thedot and dash lines il in ure fl. is the position assumed by thecontainer in transit.

When the container` is in this position, the tendency of the lades toshift the charge forward is augmented by gravity. The result is charge,instead of being spread out through the entire length of the drum, isconcentrated in the forward end. This insures a more thorough mixture,and greatly reduces the time of agitation necessary to obtain a completemix, 5 minutes stirring in the tilted container being approximatelyeguali lesults to l5 minutes when the container is liorilontal.

When it is desired to unload or dump the container, its direction ofrotation is reversed by means of the transmission. The charge tends toshift toward the rear end ci the contai er, overbelancing the cradle sothat the rear end tends to fall and the forward end to rise. rhisdelivers the charge to the buckets due to the combined action of g aating blades, and the buckets raise the material and drop it into thechute dfi, which discharges the miner.

The device would be opere ive even without means of controlling orregulanng tilting action, but pref to have this action completely underthe control ci operator. is accomplished by means of hydraulic cylinders59, .each of which trunnioned in the bearings 5I on the frame 2, andpistons pivotally attached to the cradle il, which work. in thecylinders. A line or conduit in which is included a Valve connects thetwo cylinders. A suitable hydraulic medium, preferably oil, nils thecylinders and line. When the valve is open the cradle and container areunbal need, the liquid is forced out of one cylinder into the otherpermitting the cradle to tip. lf valve be wholly closed, tilting ci thecradle entirely prevented, and the rate at which 'tilting talzes placecan be controlled by partially openi g or closing the valve. A dualcontrol for the Valve, operable from the driver-s position, ispreferably provided in the lever 5l', which operates the valve handlethrough the link 59.

Although the cradle and container should be normally substantially inbalance when empty, it is sometimes preferable to have a slightunbalance which would normally bring the container into the appropriateposition for transit, i. e., with the forward end low and the rear endraised. There is therefore provided a box 56 attached to the forward endof the cradle. l/Vhen this box is empty the empty container and cradleare in balance, but the box may be lled with sand or other suitablematerial, in which case it acts as a counterweight of sumcient magnitudeto tilt the empty container. Under these circumstances the container maybe dumped as described, the valve being closed after it is brought tothe dumping position. When the container is empty the valve may beopened, the forward end of the cradle then falling gradually to theposition desired, and closed again with the container either horizontalas shown in ure l, or with the forward end low as shown in the dottedlines 4l of Figure 4.

I claim:

1. A vehicle for simultaneously mixing and transporting concrete and thelike comprising a frame, a container tiltably mounted on said frame andsubstantially in balance thereon, agitating means within said containerfor mixing charges placed therein, a piston and cylinder connectedbetween said container and frame for actuation by tilting of saidcontainer, and means for controlling fluid flo-w to and from saidcylinder for regulating tilting movements 01 said container caused byunbalance thereof.

2. A vehicle for simultaneously mixing and transporting concrete and thelike comprising a frame, a container tiltably mounted on said frame andsubstantially in balance thereon, agitating means within said containerfor mixing charges placed therein, cylinders and pistons connectedbetween said container and frame on opposite sides of the tilting axis,a conduit connecting said cylinders, and means for controlling fluidflow between said cylinders to regulate tilting movement of saidcontainer.

3. A concrete mixer comprising a frame, a cradle tiltably mounted onsaid frame, a mixing' container rotatably mounted on said cradle,agitating blades helically arranged within said container, reversiblemeans for rotating said container whereby a charge therein issimultaneously mixed and moved toward one end thereof by said helicalblades, a cylinder and piston connected between said cradle and frame,and means for controlling fluid flow to and from said cylinder to regulae tilting movements of said frame.

4. A concrete mixer comprising a frame, a cradle tiltably mounted onsaid frame, a mixing container rotatably mounted on said cradle,agitating bla-desy helically arranged within said container, reversiblemeans for rotating said container whereby a charge therein issimultaneously mixed and moved toward either end thereof by said helicalblades dependent upon the direction of rotation of said container, apair of cylinders and pistons, one of said cylinders and pistons beingconnected between each end thereof, a conduit joining said cylinders,and a valve in said conduit for controlling hydraulic flow between saidcylinders for the purpose ofcontrolling the tipping action of saidcontainer'under the influence of an unbalanced load occasioned'. by therotation of said container'.

HENRY PARIS.

said frame and said cradle aty

